MR. MCGEE AND THE BITING FLEE Comes To Children's Theatre Company

What happens when a wayward duckling doesn't listen to his mother? Australia's celebrated Patch Theatre's "Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea" comes to Children's Theatre Company to present the answer in six darling stories that will delight the whole family. Meet and dine with little Mary Elizabeth and the monster who lives in her house in this charming collection of stories, told in gorgeous, witty ways.

In its 37-year history, Patch Theatre Company has produced 100 new works and performed to 1.4 million children and their families nationally and internationally. In recent years, Patch has developed and refined a repertoire of seven acclaimed productions, each featuring the company's trademark elegance, simplicity and theatrical invention. This stylish collection of engaging theatre makes its way to Minneapolis and will be performed by Twin Cities actors Autumn Ness, Reed Sigmund and Max Wojtanowicz at Children's Theatre Company.

"The debut of Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea will mark an international collaboration between CTC and Patch Theatre," says Peter C. Brosius, artistic director for Children's Theatre Company. "Originally created by artistic director Dave Brown - with sets by Patch Theatre, we're bringing local actors into this creative endeavor and working across continents to create a spectacular production of this award-winning musical."

Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea is based on a book by Pamela Allen, a New Zealand author whose more than 30 works for children are recognized throughout the world. A two-time winner of the Australia's CBC Picture Book of the Year, Allen also wrote Is your Grandma a Goanna?, I Wish I had a Pirate Suit and Shhhh! Little Mouse.

Appropriate for children ages 4 and older, Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea will feature the musical talents of Autumn Ness, Reed Sigmund and Max Wojtanowicz, three local actors most recently seen in CTC's holiday production of Cinderella. Ness and Sigmund are in their tenth seasons at CTC. Several of Sigmund's most note-worthy performances include A Year with Frog & Toad, HONK! The Ugly Duckling, as classic character "Ernie" in Bert & Ernie, Goodnight! and "Dorcas Cramp," an ugly stepsister in CTC's Cinderella. A versatile talent, Ness' credits include the role of Stepmother in the highly acclaimed Cinderella and key roles within The Magic Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Romeo & Juliet, The Snow Queen and Prom. Wojtanowicz, who was a performing apprentice at Children's Theatre Company for two years, has performed at The Guthrie Theater, Nautilus Music Theater, Skylark Opera and the Great River Shakespeare Festival and can be seen in Big River and Mame, later this year.

Original musical composition for Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea is by Timothy Sexton, one of South Australia's most prominent musicians. Sexton has conducted more than 900 performances ranging from concerts and recordings with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to operatic works with the State Opera of South Australia. His solo vocal credits include: Flamma Flamma, Hansel and Gretel and the children's opera Sid the Serpent. Set design, which features items inspired by children's play and found objects-such as ladders, balloons, buckets, mops and Rubber Duckies, was created by Dean Hills, whose design work has appeared in productions by the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Co., Flying Fruit Fly Circus and Urban Myth Theatre of Youth.

Mr. McGee & the Biting Flea opens Fri., Jan. 22 (previews begin Wed., Jan. 20) and runs through Sun., Feb. 21. Ticket prices range from $26-40 for adults and $16 - $25 for children (17 & under), students and seniors. Tickets are available by calling (612) 874-0400 or by visiting www.childrenstheatre.org.

Also upcoming in the 2009-2010 season are: According to Coyote, Iron Ring, Disney's Mulan, Jr., and The Biggest Little House in the Forest.

Children's Theatre Company (CTC) is the first theatre for young people to win the Coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003). Founded in 1965, CTC serves more than 300,000 people annually and is one of the 20 largest theater companies in the nation. CTC is noted for defining worldwide standards for youth theatre with an innovative mix of classic tales, celebrated international productions and challenging new work.

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